To Kill a Mockingjay
by ReiHinoFan
Summary: Katniss Everdeen lived with her sister in foster care before receiving a letter that would turn her world upside down. Soon she will be challenged in the ways of magic as well as face off against her parents vicious killer. The only good thing? She wont be doing it alone as a new world unfolds before her. Harry Potter AU, eventual Joniss with other pairings.
1. Chapter 1: Girl With The Mockingjay Scar

**Arc 1**

**Chapter 1**

**_The Girl With the Mockingjay Scar_**

A girl with long brown hair tied back into a braid made her way out of the beaten down house toward the mailbox. She lived here with her younger sister, Primrose, and her foster parents as well as their son. She had been sentenced to life this life since her parents died when Prim was only an infant. She herself had only been four at the time and had little memory of what had happened, all she knew was that her parents were killed and the man that killed them had tried to kill her as well. The only thing that remained of that dreadful night was an unusual scar on her chest over her heart.

The girl took the stack of letters from the box and started walking them back to the house, her facial expression lacking any real emotion as she did so. She hated this house and could hardly wait until she turned 18 and could get herself and Prim out of there. She didn't know where they would go, but anywhere was better then being stuck here with a group of people who really didn't want anything to do with you. As she flipped through the mail she stopped at an unusual looking letter with her name written on the front in a beautiful script. When she walked through the door to the beaten down and dirty house she rested the rest of the mail on the table before turning to head back to her "room" which she shared with Prim. As she turned she came face to face with her foster mother, a middle-aged woman of 56 with messy brown hair and ugly greenish brown eyes. She was grossly overweight and reeked of cigarette smoke and alcohol.

"Any where do you think you're going with that?" The woman demanded as she ripped the letter out of the younger girl's hand. "Stealing my mail now Katniss? I expected less from you."

"It's addressed to me" The girl stated calmly not flinching when the women tore the letter in half before throwing it in the trash.

"Who would send you a letter?" The women asked as she took a drag from her smoke, "A college? Please you couldn't go to any place even if you tried. Maybe if they needed to fulfill a demographic."

Katniss only walked away, far too used to the women by now. It wasn't that Katniss wasn't smart enough to get into a good school, it was that she never applied. Without the money to take any form of tests to get into a college she really didn't know what else to do but stay here until she could get her and Prim out. She sighed, she was only seventeen now and was dying to get out of this hell hole of a house. She was practically counting down the months until her eighteenth birthday.

"What's a matter?" Prim asked from her seat on the bed, their room was located in the basement, and was very small. They could only fit two twin sized beds, and that was a only barely. They had no room for possessions and they were forced to fold their clothes and store them on the floor. The room always looked a mess and nothing they did made it look cleaner.

"It's not important." Katniss stated, "Just some letter that came for me. But it was probably junk."

The older girl sat on her bed, "Might have been nice to know what it was for."

Primrose easily picked up on her sister's annoyed tone, knowing too well that the mother treated the two of them like crap. They spend most of their time cleaning the upstairs of the house as well as cook and do laundry. All the chores that the mother of the household would usually do or the stay at home dad. But this was all them and they never seemed to do it right according to the fat and lazy woman they were forced to live with.

The son was no different, he was some middle school punk with no friends. He didn't do anything around the house and usually got the mother to make either Katniss or Prim do his chores while he "did homework" which the two knew by now was code for play video games or smoke weed in his room by himself.

The only good thing about where they were currently living was that it was in Tolv, where she had lived her whole life. It was a poorer region, known for the mines that many men worked in. The air of the place always smelled like soot and ash with the lightest sent of forest due to the woods just outside the region's boundary line blocked off by a large fence. She used to play there or hide there all the time as a child, but since she was thrown here they did not allow her much time out of the house let alone into the woods.

"We should start dinner soon," Katniss stated as Prim nodded her head grimly.

* * *

The next day the same letter came in the mail. Katniss could recognize the beautiful handwriting. And every time the fat women would take it from her and throw it away or toss it in the fireplace with the fire going, or run it under water until any contents would be unreadable. When the man of the house came home he would do the same with any letters stuck to the door (as they were now appearing there too). The man was also an older type who loved to drink cheap beer and smoke his pipe.

"What is the meaning of all these letters?" The man asked as he shoved a handful of the enveloped mail into the garbage. Katniss resisted the urge to say that if they let her open one then they would know what they were for.

The doorbell rang three times before more letters were slipped under the door. All of them with the same script writing out _Katniss Everdeen_ with no return address or anything other then her name.

Days turned into weeks and these letters kept coming. Until one day the letters stopped entirely. The family sat at the table for dinner, the parents satisfied with the stop in letters. Katniss and Prim ate dinner in their room, as they were not allowed to eat with the rest of the family. They were also not allowed to talk in case someone came by to see them or their son. The doorbell had rung through the house causing the man to get up and open the door.

"Can I help you?" The gruff voice asked as Katniss turned her head to listen.

"The fuck is wrong with you?" She heard a female voice ask, clearly pissed off as she heard the door being forced back and footsteps coming into the house. "You make my job difficult you know that?"

"Do I know you?" The man asked as the mother stood up, face red with anger.

"How dare you break down my door like that!"

"Shut up." The girl barked, "Katniss Everdeen, where is she?"

Katniss stood, seeing the mother turn to her and glare before motioning that she could come up the stairs, Prim followed shortly behind her.

"I'm Katniss Everdeen" Katniss said calmly as she reached the top of the steps. The girl who was looking for her was easily two or three inches taller then Katniss with short black hair with red highlights. Her eyes were a deep brown color and she was wearing a black T-shirt with dark blue jeans and leather lace-up boots. Aside from the angry look, the girl was rather attractive. Katniss estimated that she was a year or two older then herself.

"Do you not read your mail?" The girl barked as she held up yet another letter, the same script as all the others. "Do you have any idea how many fucking stamps I had to lick? You'd save me a hell of a lot of trouble if you just read it the first time."

"That can go in the garbage with the rest" The mother declared, rather dumbly in Katniss's mind since the girl was pissed off due to the fact that the letters were not read, as the man stepped forward to take the letter out of the girl's hands. He didn't get too close before the girl jerked the letter out of his reach.

"Sorry last time I checked I wrote Katniss Everdeen for the five hundredth time on this, not Lazy Fat Ass." The girl snarled before her face softened ever so lightly, if Katniss hadn't been watching her so closely she may have missed it. "Foster care sucks, I would know, I've been through ten foster homes before I got this letter."

"Who are you?" Primrose finally asked as she stepped out from behind Katniss. The younger girl was clearly more interested in this girl now. Her and the magical letter that promised them out of the house, or at least Katniss.

"Not important right now, look the train leaved soon if your not gonna read it let me paraphrase for you." The girl stepped forward toward Katniss, "Congrats, you've been accepted to Tretton School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, blah blah blah, train leaves soon get your ass packed."

"Witchcraft and Wizardry?" Katniss repeated looking very unamused. Now she was sure the chick was crazy. Such things only existed in fairy tales and folklore.

"What? They never told you?" The girl looks mildly surprised now. "Come on girl, everyone in Tretton knows who you are."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Mockingjay scar?" The girl pointed to the girl's chest, "Look if they said nothing, I have no time to explain right now. Just...Humor me. Get yourself and your sister packed and lets get going, I'll explain on the train."

"I can take Prim?"

"Technically no, but I'll work it out." The girl stated, "Headmaster will have my head if I don't come back with you. Come on, I know you want out of here."

The brown haired girl was surprised enough that the other girl, whom she never met before, knew of her scar, but nothing other then getting out of his house mattered to her right now. She looked over at Prim who seemed to understand as they scurried back downstairs to gather what little belongings they had into their two backpacks. She could hear the two adults arguing with the older girl but that mattered very little as Katniss pushed past the older foster parents and walked out the door with Prim's wrist tightly clenched in her one hand.

"If you leave you can never come back!" She heard the mother yell as the older girl followed them out, a snort of laughter leaving her as the mother yelled after them.

"I don't think they got the memo."

Outside was a black Subaru, probably an early 2000 model. It wasn't much but hey, it was getting them away from here. The girl unlocked the doors and jerked the driver side door open.

"Now as I was saying, we're in a hurry, get in." The two sister wasted no time listening to the older girl as they tossed their bags in the backseat before Katniss sat up in the passenger side while Prim jumped in back with the bags. The girl started the car and drove down the old street, speeding up lightly only confirming that they were in deed, in a hurry.

"Your an interesting individual you know that Mockingjay?" The older girl commented ten minutes into their drive, "Normally after a performance like that people aren't so quick to jump in the front seat."

"I have a name," Katniss was quick to state, "Remember, you wrote it five hundred times."

The girl shot her a sideways glare before an amused smirk appeared on her face, "I hope you bite as hard as you bark."

"You still haven't said who you are." Katniss pointed out as she noticed them leaving the district and heading down an unfamiliar road.

"Introductions are lame" The girl shrugged, "plus they're always the same no matter who your talking to."

"Shouldn't I know your name?" Katniss asked, "After you kidnapping us it's only fair."

"Kidnapping?" The girl's smirk changed to sometime a little more dangerous looking that made Katniss feel slightly uncomfortable. It was one of those looks that made her feel like this girl was up to no good. "I think I saved you, your welcome."

"Your awfully full of yourself." Katniss looked out the window, "Are you at least going to tell me where you are taking me?"

"I did, we're going to Tretton. Remember the acceptance letter thing" The girl handed off the letter yet again and for the first time Katniss was able to actually reach out and touch the parchment-like paper of the envelope. She slowly opened the envelope and took out the few papers within it. The first an acceptance letter:

_Tretton School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Headmaster: __Plutarch Heavensbee_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Katniss Everdeen,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Tretton School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We_ _await your owl by no later then 31 July._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Plutarch Heavensbee_

Katniss looked over the other page to see requirements for a uniform and course books. The school's seal on the envelope and letter made it look so much more real. But could it really be? All she had to go off of was the strange girl driving her to god knows where in an old model Subaru.

"Is this really for real?" She knows her voice is coming out quieter then she would like, but this was all a lot to take in. Prim seemed to pick up on the confusion her sister was feeling.

"How do you know so much about Katniss?" Prim asked, it was the first time she had spoken during their journey. Katniss was also curious as to how this strange girl who was refusing to give her name knew about her.

"I suppose I could tell you," The girl's smirk this time was a little different, not as dangerous but held a level of mischief. "But it's a long story. Let's just say you are famous in Tretton because your parents were famous there too."

"Mom and dad went to school there?" Prim's eyes widened with childish curiosity, "Could they use magic?"

"Yup, everyone that went to school at Tretton could use magic. I'm sure you two can too." The girl smiled more warmly and this made Katniss smile lightly. The girl was good with kids to say the least, it seemed out of character for a girl so pissed off during their first encounter. "Especially your sister, with that Mockingjay scar, everyone will have their eyes on her."

"Why does my scar matter?"

"Like I said, it's a long story, one better suited for the train ride into Tretton Village." The girl sighed, "I won't be the one to tell it though, I'm just dropping you off at the station with the professor who will escort you to the school."

The rest of the ride was silent, suddenly out of the corner of her eye she could see the girl flash a wicked smile. "Don't scream."

Katniss was about to ask her what she meant when they started accelerating towards the brick wall of an abandon building. She opened her mouth but before any noise could come out they were on the other side of the wall, completely unharmed. Instead of crashing into what looked like their doom that were not in what looked like an indoor parking garage within a train station.

"You should have seen the look on your face." The girl was laughing now, and it made Katniss's blood boil. She was about to say something when an man who looked older then this girl knocked on the window. The girl sighed before stepping out. "Had to ruin my fun huh?"

"Fun?" The man repeated, he was much taller with short brown hair and a five-o-clock shadow. "You could have damaged my car if you came in wrong."

"Chill, not a scratch."

"You're unbelievable."

"That's what all my dates tell me, but usually in a good way. You're way doesn't sound that good." There was that smirk again, like she was really getting a rise out of taunting the man before her.

"I've seen peacocks less full of themselves Mason," the man rolled his eyes,

"Why must you always compare me with animals, Blight?"

"What other time have I compared you to an animal?"

"You called me a bull yesterday"

"I said you were _bull-_headed Johanna,"

"_Bull-_shit"

"Are you two done?" The two turned to a much older man in his forties, "Because your making those two uncomfortable."

Katniss and Prim just stood there with their bags watching the two go back and forth. Katniss was thankful the older man had stopped the two, besides, weren't they in a hurry moments ago?

"Let me clear things up, I'm Professor Haymitch Abernathy, I'm your guide for the day, those two are Johanna Mason and Blight Rossi, they are your upperclassmen so treat them with respect." The man was holding a flask and seemed to care very little about the previous argument. "I only introduce them both because I know Johanna can be difficult."

"Bullheaded" Blight corrected lightly.

"I'll punch your face."

"_Anyway_, lets got going, the train leaves soon and I know you don't wanna stick around to see any more of that."

Apparently Johanna and Blight had their own way back to the school, meaning Katniss and Prim would be traveling with this Haymitch character the rest of the way to Tretton. The station was filled with people, wizards and witches as luggage started levitating in the air, small magical spells spilling from the various wands being used in the room The quickly boarded the train as people started filling on.

"Alright, you kids wanna hear a story on our way to Tretton?" The man didn't wait for an answer, "of course you do, after all you wanna know why we sent our friendly neighborhood pit bull to get you right?"

The two sisters just looked at each other before turning back to Haymitch.

"Alright, lets start with your parents, they attended school here many years ago. They were in the class below mine actually, nice kids. Your father, Jason Everdeen, was a pure-blood wizard, smart and mischievous, loved by many of the other students. Great student, even better seeker on the Quidditch team. He was involved with many of the clubs, one of which was the Potions club where he met your mother, Rose who was a beautiful young girl who spent most of her time in the herbology room or with the potions club.

They were the school's number one couple. They dated for most of their years there. Jason, the Quidditch player with the mischievous side, and Rose, the kind girl who loved plants. Everyone at school knew who they were. They were talented wizards, powerful. Some didn't agree with their relationship due to blood-purity. You see there are four kinds of wizards. Pure-bloods are those from a well regarded bloodline that is untouched by muggle blood, muggle being mortal blood, Half-bloods are those who have half wizard blood, half muggle. Muggle-borns are wizards with no magical parents or grandparents who are able to use magic and then their are muggles, mortal beings. Of course there are other sub-categories but lets keep it simple.

They get married and have children. But before they can really enjoy their happy lives they are met with a very dark magic. You see not all magic is good. There is a man known in the wizard world as the Dark Prince. He is a master of the dark arts. Magic that has been banned. Magic that is unlawful in the magical world. He went after your parents because of what they were doing in terms of defense against dark arts. You see they were figuring out ways to prevent dark magic from being used and new spells to counter dark magic, because of this the Dark Prince was after them for their blood.

He found them in Tolv trying to live their lives as normally as possible. He broke into your house one night when you were young, he killed them both with a forbidden spell known as the killing curse. The curse killed them quickly, painlessly. But then he turned to you, he tried to use his curse on you, however for some reason it failed." Haymitch took a sip from his flask, "It left a mark on your chest where he struck you. You are the only person known to survive the killing curse."

"Is that why you want me at Tretton?" Katniss finally asks after minutes of silence, "Because you think I have some magical power?"

"You have magic, same as your parents, all children with magical ability are to be accepted into Tretton for proper training of that power."

"But everyone knows me?"

"They know the story, so yes, they know you." The old man leaned back in his seat, "Oh, before I forget, they also left you quiet the sum of money. Worthless in the human world, but a nice sum in the magical world. All your books and uniform will be covered no problem."

Katniss didn't ask any more questions. Her head was already spinning with all the information it had to take in today. Her parents were wizards, that was shocking enough. Throw in the fact that they were killed by an evil wizard and that she was now being whisked away and taken to a magical school, the very last thing on this girl's mind was money. It was all just too much to take in. As she turned it seemed that Prim as well was trying to think through the mass of information she was thrown. Suddenly she found herself with more questions then answers.

The train was clacking on the track, the view out the window as the most calming thing about this ride. The train ride was over a hour long, the evening sun began it's descend as the train stopped at the station. Students standing and gathering their things around them.

"Whelp, that'll all I needed to do, you two are going to meet back up with Mason and Odair I believe and get some stuff sorted out." Haymitch stated as he made his way off the train, leaving Katniss and Prim to get their things and exit the station on their own. They found themselves in a small old village of some sort. The buildings looked old and were usually stone walled with large windows for shops and wooden doorways.

"Where the hell did that drunk go?" Katniss knew the voice before she turned, Johanna was walking over to them with a tall man with a muscular build and blonde hair.

"So this is the famous girl with the scar?" The blonde grinned. "Finnick Odair, your newest tour guide today."

"If you were going to meet us at the station why didn't you just take the train with us?" Katniss asked directing her question at Johanna, a little more then confused as to why they were being jumped around between various people.

"She had to cover after deciding to let you take your sister with you." The blonde smirked, "Headmaster wasn't mad but it wasn't the ideal."

"Shove it, I took care of it alright."

"Johanna has to take her to where she will be residing while you study at Tretton." The boy smiled charmingly, "It's not too far from the school, but you need to get your books before the first-year orientation dinner tonight."

Before Katniss could respond with any retort about being separated from her sister, Prim had already stepped forward towards Johanna. "Ok."

"Ok?" Johanna looked just as surprised as Katniss. The younger blonde Everdeen seemed perfectly fine going off with the older girl. "No argument?"

"Katniss has separation anxiety, you might have trouble with her." Prim smiles and chuckles at her own remark as she noticed her sister's facial expression.

"You OK with that?" Katniss asked as Prim nods.

"Don't worry," Prim presses, "Just worry about your classes."

On top of everything else, Katniss thinks to herself before nodding. Prim turned back to Johanna as the two walked off, Prim gripping the other girl's coat sleeve as they disappeared into the crowd, the taller girl only stiffening at the contact.

"Kids are great," Finnick chuckled as Katniss turned to him, "They see through things better then older people do."

Katniss was about to ask him what he meant when she was handed an envelope.

"Professor Haymitch wanted me to give you this, he said he forgot to before he left. It's supposed to be a card linked to the bank account with the money your parents left and a bank statement."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it, now come on lets get you your base uniform, books, and a wand." Finnick stated as he ushered the girl through the crowd. The steered to the nearest store before Finnick held the door open for her. The store was filled with boxes with wands displayed in various sections.

"There are so many."

"Yeah, each wand is made differently and reflects the user." Finnick stated, "they're made out of different woods and different cores."

"You seem excited"

"I am, I haven't taken anyone wand shopping since Johanna was a first year." Finnick smiled, "The store keeper here is really cool too, he knows just the right wand for everyone."

"Interesting," Katniss stated as she looked around at the wood sticks, each one looked so different. "What's yours made of?"

"Cedar with a unicorn hair core." Finnick stated as he pulled out the wand from his back pocket.

"That doesn't sound manly," Katniss chuckled,

"Funny Jo said the same thing."

"Finnick Odair," A voice called as the two turned to the elderly storekeeper.

"Hey Omar, I found another first year." Finnick greeted lightly as the store clerk looked over Katniss.

"Well step up here little lady lets see what wand speaks to you." Omar stated as Katniss walked up to the counter, Omar examined her for a moment before pulling out a box from under the counter. "Try this."

Katniss wasn't sure what to do, she picked up the dark wood only to have the wind pick up around her before the boxed started falling off the shelves.

"Maybe that's not a match." Omar stated as he plunked the wand out of her hand before any damage could come to any of the other wands.

"She's the girl headmaster wanted to tell you about. The one with the scar?"

"You should have started with that boy." The elder man grumbled, as he walked back behind a door before reappearing with a different box. "Ash with a phenix feather core, I guarantee it will be a hit."

When Katniss picked this one up, she could feel a warmth spread through her body, a welcome heat the captivated her as it drew her in.

"It feels warm."

"I think we found a match." The elder clerk smiled, "I've still got a knack for wand-matching."


	2. Chapter 2: Sorting Things Out

**Arc 1**

**Chapter 2**

**Sorting Things Out**

The rest of the trip though Tretton Village was rather uneventful, but Katniss enjoyed the idea of buying school supplies, it was something her and Prim were not allowed to do at their foster house. It was nice to be able to look through such a large assortment of books. After the shopping trip Finnick lead Katniss back to the school, which upon arrival looked like a medieval castle. The front gate was of steel and was part of a larger fence that mended steel and brick. As soon as they passed through the gate she was greeted by the sights and sounds of what would resemble in her mind a busy college campus. There were older students in a variety of color variations of the same uniform.

"Why are all the uniforms different?" Katniss asked as the thought came to her.

"The colors represent the different houses here." Finnick smiled, "On the first night of first years entering the school you are sorted one by one into a house. Each house represents one of the original founders of the school. The first house is Dolphus, founded by Tom Robinson, those are the red and gold uniforms you see. Students that are sorted into this house have a strong sense of bravery, daring, nerve, and chivalry. The house mascot is a mockingbird.

The second house is Teresita, founded by Don Tomas Urrea, are the students wearing the yellow and black uniforms. Students that are sorted into that house have a strong sense of loyalty, fair play, honesty, and tolerance. The house mascot is a hummingbird. I'm a member of that house actually. The third house is Nevermore, founded by Allen Poe, those are the students with the purple and dark gray uniforms. The students sorted there have a strong sense of wit, creativity, wisdom, and cunning. Their house mascot is a raven. Johanna is part of that house."

Finnick paused before continuing, "The last house is Cardin, founded by Sky Lark, they're the ones with the green and silver uniforms. Students sorted there are known for their ambition, cleverness, resourcefulness, and pure blood heritage. The house symbol is a condor. The house also has a reputation for housing wizards who have turned to the dark arts, but there have been some good wizards too."

Katniss nodded, "How do you get sorted into the houses?"

"Their are four statues in the dinning hall, each of one of the founders. When a student stands in the sorting circle before them, a spell causes the statues to see within the student's soul. Soon a founder's eyes will light up and that will determine what house you belong to." Finnick stated as they walked past another large stone building before passing though the doorway leading to a large hallway. "The dinning hall is just down this hallway."

Finnick lead them towards the doors of the dinning hall, in front of the door was a crowd of what Katniss assumed to be the other first year students.

"Here you go, Professor Paylor is going to go over some stuff before you guys are sorted. I'll see you inside." Finnick smiled before slipping through the crowd, stopping by Professor Paylor before entering the dinning area. Katniss watched as the Professor addressed her fellow first year students. Talking about the houses, but since Finnick had already explained this before, she zoned out and looked over at her fellow classmate. Some of them looked more calm about the whole things then others, perhaps there were more students like her that had no idea magic existed before being dragged here. Soon Professor Paylor had them line up in two lines, one line boys the other girls, alphabetical order.

"Alright, when your name is called you will walk up on stage and stand in the circle before the statues, they will place you into your house." Paylor informed them before opening the large doors with a flick of her wrist. The doors open and reveal the largest room Katniss has ever seen. The ceilings were at least three stories high and the room itself looked like you could fit all of Tolv within it. The smells of different foods filled her nostrils, wonderful smells that she had never smelled before. There were long tables filled with students from all different age groups. They seemed to be sitting with fellow members of their house. Students were soon called up one by one and sorted, some students made the eyes on a statue light up quickly, others took a few seconds.

People were cheering, shouting in excitement as they were places, the members of that house cheered loudly whenever a first year was placed into their house. Cheery eyes and amused laughs filled the large room quickly.

"Katniss Everdeen" Her name was called fairly quickly, it made sense since there wasn't many other people before her. She walked up onto the raised stage area, passing a small group of professors. Sitting in the center of the professors was a man with a kind smile and white hair, she assumed he must be the headmaster as he had the largest chair there. Sitting off to his right was Haymitch as well as a few other professors she didn't know. She stood in the circle as told and looked up at the four statues. They were solid marble and beautifully life-like in appearance.

A few seconds passed and none of the statues had light up yet. She stood their calmly looking over to one statue, one of a man who appeared to be early forties wearing a traditional wizard robe. Her eyes locked with the lifeless statues before those lifeless eyes lit up flashing a bright red color.

"Dolphus!" Katniss turned and looked over to the cheering house members. She walked over and was seated on the end where they were seating their newest members.

"Welcome," A male a year older then herself greeted with a handsome smile, "You wouldn't happen to be from Tolv?"

"I am," Katniss replied as the dark haired male smiled.

"So am I, Gale Hawthorne," Katniss looked back over the male, she recognized him from her district, he was that kid who used to play by the mines.

"You were that kid who always walked around covered in black dust from the mines." Katniss recalled as the male nodded. They never really played together as children or talked much, maybe a few times, but it was nice to see a familiar face.

"Hungry?" A female voice asked. "Help yourself, The house elves really outdid themselves this year."

Many other students went through the sorting, a blonde male got put into Dolphus and sat next to Katniss, he looked rather nervous.

"Peeta Mellark," Gale greeted lightly as he did every knew student that sat down. Peeta offered a small smile. He wasn't much of a talker, soon other first years gathered at the Dolphus house table. After all the students were sorted, The headmaster stood to give his Beginning of the Year Speech.

"Welcome back to all for another thrilling year. And welcome to all the new students who will be joining us. I have only these words to say; study hard, work hard, now lets eat."

The room was filled with lighthearted conversation and the sounds of people enjoying the spread before them. The tables were filled with different kinds of food: roasted chicken, roast beef, steak, lamb chops wrapped in beacon, garlic mashed potatoes, smoked salmon, freshly baked bread, peas, carrots, corn, broccoli, baked ham, roasted potatoes, and boats of gravy rested along the table. Katniss had never been surrounded by this much food.

A cough from next to her caused her to turn her head as she noticed Peeta reaching for his water glass.

"You can tell who's from Tolv," Gale mused lightly, "It's a little overwhelming."

Katniss knew what he meant, in Tolv there wasn't much money meaning there wasn't much food. It was almost an instinct to scoff down good food when it was thrown your way. She supposed it must be true for Elva and Tio, those two districts were pretty poor as well although not as bad off as Tolv. Katniss spent the rest of the evening chatting with Gale about the school and about life in Tolv. Peeta joined the conversation in some parts as well but only when he was addressed by Gale or by Katniss. He was nice, Katniss thought, with his boyish charm. Soon an older student of Dolphus lead the first years to their dorms, he was an older kid who had mentioned he was a seventh year student.

The student explained that the dorm buildings are separated by house, each house has their own building that is hidden and locked away so that students of another house couldn't get in without permission. Dophus house was located in one of the towers off the main academic building. It was guarded by a portrait of the founder of the house and the only way to gain access was a password.

Ketniss entered her room she was supposed to share with another person, there were two beds in the room, two desks, and two large wardrobes. The room itself was rather spacious and she quickly assumed that her roommate was an upper classman because the other side of the room looked completely unpacked and lived in. On her bed was the remaining parts of her school uniform. She had been able to purchase the basics of the uniform with Finnick earlier, however she needed to wait until she was housed in order to gain the rest of the uniform, since the uniforms for the different houses had different colors. She noticed that the "house elves" that were also mentioned to her at dinner when she was talking to Gale had brought up her luggage as a single duffle bag sat at the foot of her bed. Her mind wondered to Prim, who had been taken somewhere by Johanna hours ago. She was hoping the older girl would have talked to her at dinner.

When the door opened Katniss turned to see a girl with long dark hair and sea green eyes walked in unsurely before her eyes landed on Katniss. The girl walked in and was quickly followed by Johanna. Katniss tilted her head, Johanna looked rather different in her school uniform. The skirt was a little longer then hers fit and ended just above Johanna's knees, the long sleeve white shirt was ironed nicely, her house tie was black and had thin purple stripes, a black cardigan with the crest of Nevermore house on it, and black knee socks with black dress shoes. Around her neck, over her tie was a circular pendent the hung off a white gold chain. Other then the house colors, the uniform was the same as Katniss's.

"You must be Katniss," The sea eyed girl stated, "It's nice to meet you, I'm Annie Cresta, we'll be rooming together this year."

"Nice to meet you," Katniss offered a smile before turning to Johanna, "How's Prim?"

"She's fine" Johanna stated rather off-handedly, "She's living with Mags, she's the old lady who tends to the Herbology gardens around campus."

Katniss didn't even nod at the information, just studied the older girl

"You don't believe me? Ask her yourself." Johanna tossed a smooth dark rock on the bed, "Toss that in water."

"What'll it do?"

"Find out yourself Brainless."

"Hanna," Annie started, raising a hand to the other girl, "It's a communication stone, it's charmed so that if you put it in water you can communicate with the person who possesses the other stone."

Annie proceeded to walk out of the room returning moments later with a glass of water, resting it on the table she motioned for Katniss to step closer. She dropped the stone in the water causing the reflection in the clear liquid change until she could make out her sister's face.

"Hi Katniss."

"Prim"

"Johanna said you'd call me as soon as she gave you the stone" Prim was beaming, which only made Katniss smile, she had never seen her sister so happy in such a long time. "Mags is so nice, she let me help her with her herb garden. She's mute so she talks with sign language."

"That's pretty neat," Katniss laughed, not used to her sister acting her age. The girl was only 12 after all and some days it seemed like the girl was much older.

"Mags has been teaching me all kinds of things," Prim continued, "I learned all kinds of things about herbs. We're going to use them to help Buttercup."

"Who's Buttercup?"

"Him," She looked on as her sister picked up an ugly looking cat, "I found him in the village, he's sick so me and Mags are gonna heal him. Johanna said I could keep him."

The last part was added quickly as the younger Everdeen seemed to read the look on her sister's face. She could hear Annie giggling and shifted her gaze to see Johanna looking away from the two, her face tinted with a light blush.

"Johanna did?"

"Johanna's so cool" Prim stated with a grin, "She and Mags are helping me learn sign language. She also helped me get Buttercup to the house so we could help him. He scratched her but she didn't get mad at him. Mags cleaned out the cut and everything so it wouldn't get infected."

Katniss's gaze swept back to Johanna noticing the bandage around her left hand. Annie's giggling got louder to her right, "That's so cute Hanna."

"Shut up, I'm going to bed." Johanna announced before leaving the room.

**END NOTES:**

**Thanks for all the feedback guy! Also I know I changed the house names and stuff from Harry Potter. I named each house after a different story (Except for Cardin which is named after a web series and Nevermore which is named after a poem) so I was wondering if anyone could guess what book each house is named after.**

**Also this chapter is a little shorter then the last one, a longer one is in store I promise! Just wanted to get the universe set up before I started getting more into the plot of the story! hope you guys liked the chapter because there is much more to come.**


	3. Chapter 3: Hot Water Duel

**Arc 1**

**Chapter 3**

**Hot Water Duel**

Katniss was trying her hardest to settle in to her new life at Tretton. In some ways it was easier then others. She didn't mind sharing a room with Annie Cresta, who along with Finnick, was a fifth year student. It was helpful to share a room with the older member of Dolphus house, Annie would help her with her homework whenever she got stuck. Finnick was nice enough, Katniss supposed, he was a bit disarming in his charm but overall he was a sensible young man. He would also offer his help when Katniss needed it.

Peeta was nice, shy and a little withdrawn, but nice. He was always very polite. Gale was also a nice guy to pal around with. All three of them shared many common interests since they were all from the same district. Currently they were all having lunch together, today the house-elves had prepared various hot and cold sandwiches with homemade soups and baked french fries and potato chips dusted with different flavored spices. The elves always made a huge variety of food as to please all the tastes of the students at the school.

"You have charms next right Katniss?" Gale asks as he takes a bite of his chicken sandwich, "With Professor Cinna?"

"That's right," Katniss smiled, "We're supposed to go over wands today."

"It's an interesting lecture." Gale stated as he thought back. He was a second year student so he still remembered a lot from his first year. "And Professor Cinna is a great professor to teach that kind of stuff. I miss his Charms class."

"You have Professor Seeder's Charms class now right?" Peeta asked, "I've seen her in the halls, she seems nice."

"She is," Gale agreed, "But she's older, the class is a little slower then Cinna's."

"Hey Katniss, Peeta, Gale" Finnick greeted as he walked over, Annie under his arm. "How was Potions?"

"Potions" Katniss sighed, "Professor Trinket's class is hard."

"I think it's easy" Peeta grinned, "It's like baking, just with different stuff."

Turned out Peeta worked for a bakery before he came here, it made him a pro at Potions, he could made whatever potion they had to in class. Katniss always tried to work with him in that class as to try to not hurt herself when she tried to mix things together. It was almost like chemistry class back in high school, only when things blow up you get different results depending on the potion.

"I think Professor Trinket's a little odd," Katniss admitted, "She cares a lot about manners and stuff."

"Wait until you have Professor Coin for Defense class." Katniss turned to see Johanna had joined them at some point, sitting next to her with a french fry between her fingers and it didn't take long for Katniss to know the other was picking from her plate. It was a weird habit that the older girl had, she tend to pick at Katniss's plate when they sat down at lunch together. She hadn't started doing it until after a week of class, Katniss supposed this was to see how much the older girl would trust her before deciding to take food from her plate. Johanna was a third year and took advanced classes in Defense Against The Dark Arts. The girl knew more about how to defend herself against monsters and curses more then any other person in their group of friends. "That's a tough class."

"Johanna only thinks so because Coin's given her detention plenty of times," Gale commented as he rolled his eyes.

"You've never had Professor Coin then," Annie stated from next to Johanna, her and Finnick had sat down. "Does it taste better coming from someone else's plate?"

"Yeah," Johanna smirks as Annie rolls her eyes with a smile on her face. Katniss shook her head, Johanna seemed to do it to everyone, or at least with people she seemed to trust enough like Annie and Finnick. Finnick actually admitted that he sometimes got food he knows Johanna likes in order to keep her away from his food.

"I don't think I've ever seen you with a plate in front of you," Annie laughed lightly, "Unless your sitting with your house. When you sit with us you always steal from our plates."

"Why dirty another?" Johanna asked innocently. They seemed to go over this every now and again. Annie acting like a mother when Johanna was misbehaving or doing something that a mother might not approve of.

"Professor Trinket would be disgusted with your manners."

"But the house elves enjoy the less work I make for them."

Katniss only rolled her eyes as the two bickered for a few more moments. Johanna had been hard to pin down since she got to Tretton. The girl was sarcastic and snarky but then she would hear Prim talking about the girl like she was a saint. Katniss didn't know how to feel about the black haired third-year student. She was a blunt snarker, short-tempered and sharp-tongued but then Prim would talk to them through the communication stone and the older girl would flash a rare soft smile or even blush when the younger Everdeen commented positively about her. Finnick could even get a smile or laugh from the usually snarky girl and Annie could succeed in making the girl appear more childish when Annie got into her "mother mode."

The girl was smart too, and that's what made Katniss worry. The girl knew how to say things to get under your skin or make you turn red or to get whatever reaction she wanted out of you. Cunning, it was beginning to get more easy to understand why the girl had been placed in Nevermore. She seemed to be a bit of everything with nothing to aid in pinning down the girl's true character.

A sharp slap to the back of her head caused Katniss to shoot a look to the older girl beside her.

"What the hell?" Katniss started as she rubbed her head, realizing the girl had social graces to match her temper.

"I asked you something." The girl began looking seemingly annoyed, "But you were on another planet so I brought you back to Earth for a bit."

"Hanna that was mean," Annie scold but her comment held no bite and Johanna shrugged it off.

"Are you coming to the Dueling Club meeting after classes today?"

"Why do you care?"

"You should come" Johanna smirked dangerously, "I can make you pay for making me write all those envelopes out. Stamps and all Everdeen."

"What's the Dueling Club anyway-Is that my sandwich?"

"On question at a time," Johanna's smirked as she took another bite of the said food she had snuck off the younger girl's plate, "If you weren't spacing out you would have seen me take it. I wasn't that discrete about it."

Katniss only shook her head and reached over the table to take another sandwich from the plate in the center of the table.

"It's kinda like a sparring club," Gale started shooting a glare at Johanna, "It's almost like a self-defense class. You learn how to duel in case you find yourself in a situation in which you have to fight your way out. A lot of the Defense Against the Dark Arts geeks join it."

"Wanna try that again?" Johanna growled, "I'd start attending if I were you, smart ass comments like that could put you in a dangerous 'situation'."

"Why do you want Katniss to join anyway?" Gale asked, "She'd be dueling for Dolphus house anyway."

"Like I said, a little payback," The black haired girl smirked before turning back to Katniss, "So you coming or not?"

Katniss mulled it over for a second. Self-defense seemed like something she would need, especially since people were still treating her differently as they learned of her Mockingjay scar.

"Sure, I mean I'm sure I'd love to knock you back a few feet after stealing my food."

"You're on Everdeen."

The chime of a bell warned students that the lunch hour was almost over and that their next class would begin soon.

"We better hurry," Peeta started, "Professor Cinna won't like us being late to his class again."

Katniss nodded as the two got up to leave. Their Charms class was rather hidden and they always seemed to walk past the door when they hurried there. Professor Cinna was one of the younger professors, He had dark colored skin and black hair. Overall he was a nice enough professor and one of Katniss's favorite teachers at Tretton.

"Nice to see you two are on time," Cinna commented as the two walked through the door as the bell chimed again. The group of other first years from different houses stopped their previous chatter when the bell rang to start class. "Today we are going to discuss one of the most powerful charms a wizard could own, their own wand. Please set your wands on the table."

"Take a look around, see all the different colors, shapes, and textures of the wands around you. Each wand is crafted differently and reacts differently to every user. Wands are made from a variety of woods from holly to cedar, ebony to ash. Each wood creates not only the look but the spring but the character of the wand and limits the kind of core that can be used. Cedar wood for example is very adaptable to the core while aspen wands can be picky about the core. You have a question Cato?"

"Yeah, are there wands that are more powerful then others?" The blonde asked, Katniss had seen him before, he was in a few of her classes. His green and silver uniform showed he was in Cardin house.

"A very good question. There are very few wands that can be considered weak. Since wands are adapt to the caster then it's the caster that determines if the wand is weak or strong. There is no material that is weaker, however there are wands that are more adapt for particular spells. Mahogany wands tend to be better adapt for defensive spells while willow wands tend to be more suited for charms."

"The Dark Prince says he has a wand adapt for curses," Cato stated, "Doesn't that make his more powerful? He's killed many already with the wand."

"His wand, like many others, does have it's weaknesses. Just because a wizard can perform a curse does not mean he should be praised for power." Cinna's facial expression hardened slightly, "Tell me, what is your wand made up of?"

"Rosewood," Cato started, "The core is crystalized Basilisk blood."

"A rare core indeed, although common core found in pure-blood wizard wands. If I had to guess, I would say you would find spells in the offensive category easy. Perhaps you should join in the Cardin Dueling Team and see what your wand can do? Which reminds me, Professor Haymitch is having a first-year meeting for all students interested in joining the Dueling Club this year. The Potions Club as well as Herbology Clubs are also meeting today. I advise all students to look around at the many clubs offered at the school to see what your wands are capable of." Cinna leaned back against his desk, "Perhaps I will make an assignment of it. Due next week I want a five page paper about what you have learned about your wands during recruit week."

* * *

Katniss almost immediately regretted going to the dueling meeting once she set foot inside the dueling area. There were many students of different years gathered around a long rectangular stage watching as two students fired various spells against each other. Some students who had not dueled yet were sitting front and center to watch the other students while those who had dueled were getting any wounds they obtained looked at by two students on the other side of the room. Katniss recognized Annie Cresta as one of the students tending to the other's wounds. Johanna must have just gotten done dueling with someone, as there was blood all over her uniform and running down her face as Annie tried to aid in stopping her nose from bleeding.

"Well, the bleeding finally stopped," Annie sighed as Katniss drew closer, "You should hit the showers though, you're covered in blood."

"What happened?" Katniss asked lightly as the two turned to see her. Johanna just stood and headed to the showers, a hand covering her injured nose.

"Some first year mispronounced a spell during a mock duel, broke Hanna's nose in the process. Let's just say between the spell that broke it and the spell that fixed it, there was more blood then we thought there would be." Annie flashed a smile, "She's a little upset she wont be dueling you today, but it gives you a chance to see what it's all about yeah?"

"Katniss, you just in time," Finnick greeted with his usual smiled, "Professor Haymitch was just about to go over the two basic dueling spells with the first years."

Professor Haymitch was the only professor that students referred to by first name. The older drunken teacher didn't seem to mind. He seemed to care very little about what happened around him. Although some students say he really does care. Katniss hadn't be around him long enough to make a prediction herself.

"Alright first years, no more broken bones, the two basic spells you will need to know for this club are Expelliarmus, pronounced ex-PELL-ee-ARE-muss. This is a disarming spell. You will need to know this spell to disarm your opponent. After you master that spell the next one you will learn is Stupefy, pronounced STOO-puh-fye. This spell will stagger your opponent, but if used incorrectly or too forcefully you will knock them out. You will also be responsible for the charm Protego, pro-TAY-goh. This will admit a shield that will block your opponent's spells."

"Come on Katniss, let's practice together," Finnick grinned, "I usually practice with Jo but that little mishap earlier kinda left me without a training partner."

"Did you ever notice how you always call Johanna 'Jo' and Annie always calls her 'Hanna' it's like the two of you make up her name." Katniss stated as Finnick started teaching her how to move her wand to preform the Expelliarmus spell.

"Me and Jo grew up together so I've always called her 'Jo'" Finnick started, "When I tried to introduce her to Annie at a Quidditch match, it was really loud and she only heard me say 'Hanna' instead of 'Johanna'. She missed me saying the first part of her name, it just kinda stuck from there. I see what you mean though. It's kinda funny actually."

"Johanna never corrected Annie?" Katniss raised an eyebrow at the older male.

"I think she wanted to." Finnick laughed, "But since Annie was my girlfriend I think she was trying to be nice. I eventually asked Annie why she called Jo that and she swore she thought her name was 'Hanna' she was even confused as to why I kept calling her 'Jo' but didn't want to ask. Annie was so embarrassed too. But after a while she and Jo got close and the nickname stayed."

"Hard to imagine Johanna trying to be nice." Katniss snorted.

"She can be if she wants to." Finnick assured the shorter girl, "She's nice to Prim isn't she?"

"Prim loves her" Katniss stated as she recalled her younger sister talking about the older girl, "She goes from snarky little brat to a nice mature human being in zero seconds flat."

"I don't think she means to do it." The blonde shrugged, "It's just how she is."

After a time practicing with Finnick, he managed to talk her into dueling this girl from Nevermore, a first year like her named Clove. She was ruthless during their duel and ended firing some spell at her that sent a tree branch from the side of the arena into her face, leaving her with plenty of leaves and twigs tangled in her brown hair as well as a few scratches and tree sap on her shirt and face. Haymitch stopped the match scolding Clove for using a spell they had yet to go over as well as dismissed Katniss to wash up and rest for the evening.

"You handled yourself pretty well, Sweetheart, hope we'll see you next week," Haymitch offered a smile as Katniss walked off. Had she not practiced Protego with Finnick beforehand she may have not lasted as long as she did. The tree thing just surprised her, she knew she should have been faster is casting a counter spell. She would remember for next time. Now she had two people on her list of people to duel; Johanna and Clove, although she was sure at least Johanna would be more fair in their duel.

Katniss made her way to the showers in clean herself up before dinner. As she walked in she noticed steam coming from one of the showers. She ignored it figuring someone else from the dueling club had gotten there before her to shower. She only hoped it wasn't Clove although she was sure she would have heard or seen the other girl walk past her to the locker room.

Katniss sighed as she walked closer to the showers, stopping before the sink in order to see herself in the mirror above it. She struggled with getting the twigs out of her hair, they were tangled in the strands of her brown hair and were taking some effort in getting out. After a while she heard the shower turn off.

"Enjoy your first day training Brainless?" Katniss looked up into the mirror before her to see Johanna standing behind her wrapped in nothing but a white bath towel.

"I thought you left early."

"That was the plan, but I needed to wait for Blight to bring me some spare clothes. He took longer then I thought he would." Johanna snorted before looking up at Katniss with an amused smile, "You look like crap."

"Thanks, It's what your first years in Nevermore are capable of."

"Clove?" Johanna asked as Katniss nodded, "She's an odd one, she hangs out with some guys in Cardin. I'm not surprised, her boyfriend's the one who shot some spell at me I'm kinda glad he didn't pronounce it right, it would have been worse if he did."

Katniss was slightly worried, knowing there were some students capable of hurting someone beyond what a typical duel would allow. As she thought Johanna had come closer until she was directly behind Katniss.

"Want help?" Johanna offered gruffly as she placed her hands on either side of the sink in front of Katniss trapping her between the sink and Johanna. Katniss shifted uncomfortably as a satisfied smirk made it's way to the older girl's face.

"Whatever," Katniss answered before she felt Johanna reach up and untangle a twig almost effortlessly before placing it on the side of the sink. Katniss placed both her hands on the sides of the sink and leaned on the sink while the other girl helped her, she hoped this would prevent Johanna from trapping her again.

Katniss stole a glance back up at the mirror to see Johanna focusing on the task at hand, her hair still wet and clinging to her neck, forehead, and shoulders. Loose droplets of water made their way from her hair down her face and neck. The white towel was tucked tightly around her body. The girl was defiantly a good two inches taller then Katniss easily, the definition of her shoulders and arms gave away that the girl probably worked out regularly while maintaining a lean figure. Chocolate brown eye noticed the girl studying her from her reflection in the mirror.

"See something you like?" The taunt was matched with a smirk as Katniss only snorted. "Hold still."

"Ow,"

"Relax, it'll hurt more if you don't."

"Johanna please-"

"I know, I almost got it."

The two turned bluntly as they heard a cough followed by what they thought was a quick apology from a first year girl before she hurried out of the room. Katniss turned red as she realized their position, her own being with her leaning slightly forward against the sink and head tilted back slightly, Johanna's hands through her hair and naked body behind her didn't help as well as the double meaning of their previous conversation. Johanna had started laughing.

"It's not funny." Katniss turned to face the girl, "What if she tells someone?"

"I'll be in more trouble," Johanna shrugged, "You are only seventeen right?"

"That should make it more serious." Katniss started, "You could get into trouble."

"Relax," Johanna waved off as she placed the twig she had wrestled out of Katniss's hair off to the side, "All done, you should take a shower to get off any of the sap from the tree. Don't worry, I wont look."

"Johanna-"

"Maybe on your eighteenth birthday~"

"JOHANNA!"

"Relax" The older girl laughed, "I'm kidding, mostly."

Katniss just shot the other girl a disapproving look before sighing, Johanna moved toward the lockers to get dressed, "Blight packed me an extra shirt if you want it."

"Thanks," Katniss called back before stepping into the showers to undress and wash off the sticky sap from her hair. When she stepped out of the bathroom, Johanna had placed the T-shirt folded by the rest of Katniss's clothes outside the shower stall. When she dried and changed the older girl was waiting for her by the door with a duffle bag over her shoulder.

"Tell Finn I'm going to be late to dinner," Johanna stated, "I wanna try to get the blood out of my uniform."

"Sure," Katniss smiled lightly as the two went their separate ways. Katniss ran her hands over the material of the oversized T-shirt Johanna lent her. It was soft and smelled like the forest. Katniss made her way toward the great hall for dinner greeted by Peeta and Gale just outside the dinning hall.

"Hey Katniss, how was the Dueling Club?" Peeta asked with a smile as they walked into the room.

"Rocky," Katniss laughed, "Some of the other first years have more bite then I thought."

"A little crazy huh?" Gale laughed, "Their first time running free with a wand, I should have warned you."

* * *

Johanna sighed as she tossed her uniform in the washing machine, hoping the blood would come out and that she hadn't waited too long to get the clothes in the machine as to ensure they didn't stain. Especially the cardigan, she only had two and she hoped that didn't stain.

"Miss Mason," A chilling voice called as Johanna turned, not expecting someone else to be in the laundry room at this time. Most of the students and faculty would be eating dinner at this time. "May I have a word?"

"What do I owe the pleasure, Professor Coin?" Johanna asked with faux innocence.

"I had a student report something very serious to me Miss Mason." Coin started, "I'm afraid I have to warrant you a detention. Effective right now, please follow me."

"For what?"

"You'll find out," Coin stated as Johanna cursed under her breath as she followed Coin down the halls towards one of the detention rooms. "You know what I take very seriously Miss Mason?"

"Everything."

"The safety and well being of the students, especially the first years. To avoid hazing and harassment I enforce the laws and rules of this school." Coin gestured for Johanna to take a seat before placing a piece of paper before her and fishing out a black quill from the cabinet. "Do you know what this is?"

"A blood quill, a torture device used by those who have no power unless forced,"

"I would watch your tongue Miss Mason," Johanna could laugh at the way Coin kept referring to her as 'Miss Mason' as if she was a fine lady yet the one addressing her was holding a weapon that would cause her great pain at the same time trying to address her as an upperclass citizen. "One hundred times, write out your crime."

Johanna stared at the quill unamused, "You have to tell me what I did first."

"You, Miss Mason, committed adultery. Corrupting a first year, I will not stand for that kind of sexual harassment. I want you to write the word 'adultery' one hundred times. One overtop the other."

"I didn't do anything." Johanna growled.

"I have an eye witness place you in the showers with another student."

"Locker rooms are public, all the girls share that locker room."

"The witness said she saw you and another girl, a first year, committing an inexcusable act. I don't have to remind you that sexual relations are not allowed on school grounds to begin with let alone with students that have not come of age yet."

"They're mistaken" Johanna leaned back, "I didn't do anything."

"So you walk up to everyone naked?"

"I had a towel, I got out of the shower."

"And the first year?"

"She was clothed, It was after a dueling match, she had sticks and crap in her hair I was only helping her."

"Miss Mason, does that story sound legitimate to you?" Coin asked as she walked around the desk, "Keep in mind we are also talking about the Mockingjay, there are many people who are relying on her. Her legend is very well known."

"She survived an attack from Snow, that's not knew."

"Perhaps you did it out of jealousy." Coin started, "You survived quite the massacre, didn't you Miss Mason? Surly you would want the chance to kill the Dark Prince, now this new light of hope appears. Only she one-upped you. She survived the Killing Curse, the only person who has in fact. Does that make you angry? Everyone seems to have forgotten about the Mason Massacre, about the people you cared about who died. Now it's all about her family, her losses, her power."

"You don't even know what she wants, you haven't even told her why everyone treats her different."

"Now, I would get to writing If I were you." Coin ignored Johanna's last statement, "Because I assure you if I bring this up on the Ministry of Magic you will be expelled. The choice is yours. Make a wise one, after all it's what your house is known for."

Johanna didn't have to think long as she picked up the quill and began to write, the first time she wrote the word it felt like the back of her hand was on fire. A burning knife carving into her hand. The wounds bleed freely as the quill wrote in dark red.

"I knew you would be reasonable, a trait I actually appreciate from the Mason's."

Johanna ignored the jab at her family long enough to continue writing, her blood staining the paper as the back of her other hand burned and was cut. The word continuously carved into it until the word was an unreadable gash.


	4. Chapter 4: Assignment

**Arc 1: The Witch's Charm**

**Chapter 4: Assignment**

Johanna hadn't done to dinner like she had told Katniss she would. Instead Blight had come over to their table to inform them that Johanna wasn't coming due to the fact that she got detention until late and didn't feel like walking to the dinning hall and that he was taking her dinner to her. He seemed worried, and that only caused Finnick and Annie to look at each other and back to Blight as he nodded and was off towards the Nevermore dorms.

"Professor Coin must have been really hard on her for her to not come to dinner." Finnick stated as he watched Blight leave. "I wonder what she got in trouble for?"

Katniss shifted lightly, she knew that girl from the locker room must have told someone about the "inappropriate" encounter she had seemingly had with Johanna. It was her fault the other girl had gotten in trouble. Surely that meant she had to try to apologize, after all, the girl had done so much already for her and Prim, the least she could do was offer an apology.

* * *

_Knock, Knock_

"Johanna," Blight called from outside Johanna's single dorm. The black haired girl sighed before standing and walking towards the door. She opened the door and took the food that was offered to her.

"Thanks," The forced before closing the door before the older man, leaving him in the hallway. She didn't hate Blight, not by a long shot, but her conversation with Coin during her detention had put her in a mood.

_"That's enough" Coin sighed after the twenty-fifth time Johanna had written the word. Johanna looked up from the paper to see Coin's smile. Seemingly innocent but at the same time holding a slight disgust as if Johanna going through with the punishment that she had assigned was somehow offensive to her. "I have a job I need done, if you do it I will end your punishment here."_

_"Change of heart." Johanna snarled, however her bad attitude did little to affect Coin's new mental state, seemingly happy as if she had solved a great problem over the last half hour that Johanna sat writing in her own blood._

_"I had a thought, perhaps you could be more helpful then I originally thought Miss Mason." Coin pulled out a piece of folded paper. "I need you to track someone down. They have been spying within the school walls for a while now and I fear the Mockingjay may be a target. We cannot have the Dark One knowing that she is alive yet. So I need you to find them and do away with them."_

_"Kill them?" Johanna asked with a raised eyebrow, "Do I look like a gun for hire?"_

_"You may be more interested in knowing that your sister had a running in with this man a few years back before her untimely dead. You see I needed her to make a charm for me. A powerful charm. She was the only one to make it. The Dark One found out about the charm she was to make through this man and he made the call that ended her and the rest of your family. Perhaps you are more interested now?"_

_"What did you have my sister working on?" Johanna asked, her voice lower then before._

_"It's a secret, a very powerful secret. She failed anyway. Sadly, she was supposed to charm this" Coin held up a small orb, "But she failed. I have no use for this orb now, you can have it if you accept the job."_

_"Who do you want me to find?"_

_"He goes by Titus, one of the Dark One's lead informants. I'm sure you've heard his name. It was all over the place after he informed on your family." Coin handed her the map, "This map is able to track movements of various people, however he always seems to escape before we can get to him. Like a ghost he is simply untraceable."_

_"You want me to take down Snow's informant?"_

_"Careful, Miss Mason, Names are very powerful." Coin scold, "Remember that, names give power. You need not give Snow any more."_

_"I'll find him." Johanna stated as she rolled her eyes at Coin. Only a real superstitious person would think that a name would give power. If anything the nickname was giving the villain a bigger ego._

_"Good Girl," Coin smiled, "You are free to go,"_

Titus. She had heard her sister talking about him once or twice. She said he was an odd one, a strange case. Either way, he was going to pay for what he had done to her family. Johanna had a nose for tracking, and she was sure to use it.

She picked up the map and opened it, the mark with Titus's name over it moved around the halls of one of the buildings close to Dolphus house. She stood and followed his movements, the sooner she found him the better. And if she could do it in one quick, clean sweep, she was going to. She ignored the looks some of her housemates were giving her as she left her dorm and headed towards the building close to Dolphus house dorms.

The halls were pretty clear when classes weren't in session. Johanna moved quickly down one of the least traveled hallways, determine to cut off the spy as he tried to go toward the potions classrooms.

"See a ghost get away from this," Johanna murmured to herself as she passed through the narrow hallway, she turned, wand ready only to be met by a empty hallway. "The hell?"

Titus's marker was still moving, it passed right by her.

"Fucking map," Johanna murmured as she looked around. Now she understood why they called him a ghost, perhaps he charmed the map? Or Coin did to make her go mad. Either way she wasn't going to stand in a dark hallway figuring it out. She headed back to her dorm to sort things out later.

Once entering her dorm she tossed the map onto her desk. She glanced over at the orb her sister failed to charm. It was one of those orbs you use in Divination class to see into the future. Her sister had a minor interest in it. She normally liked to look into the past, the history buff that she was.

Elsinore Mason

The name was scripted on the base of the orb, proving it's ownership.

"I'll find him Nora," Johanna murmured to herself as she reached out and rested her palm on the orb, promising to it's deceased owner that the person involved with her murder will be found. A cold sensation hit her hand as the cracked orb gave a dull glow.

* * *

Katniss's classes picked up over the next couple of days. Johanna had seemed to make a habit of avoiding her, although Finnick swore the other girl was avoiding everyone the last couple of days. Johanna spent them locked away in her room or in the library where Katniss would see her reading through old leather-bound books with her thin framed black reading glasses. Dark eyes catching sight of Katniss over the clear lenses before she picked up and headed somewhere else.

Finnick seemed to pick up on her behavior before anyone else, even confronting her about it once.

"She says she working on a project for Coin." Finnick had told them at lunch, "She seemed pretty serious to finish it."

"Maybe that was part of her punishment?" Annie would offer, the more they talked about Johanna in trouble the more Katniss felt bad. It wasn't like the girl would stick around long enough for Katniss to talk to her about it.

"So Katniss are you coming?"

"What?" Katniss had completely missed Finnicks question, she was distracted by the thoughts of how to talk to the brown eyed girl avoiding her.

"I asked if you were coming back to the house over the weekend. To see Prim?"

"That would be great." Katniss smiled, She hadn't been able to visit Prim since she started school. But the only paper she had due Monday was the wand assignment for Professor Cinna's class and she was sure she could get it done before the weekend. "But Johanna never gave me the address-"

"She lives with Mags," Finnick smiled, "I live there too. So does Johanna. Mags takes in all the problem children of Tretton. The ones that don't do well in foster homes."

Katniss remembered when they met Johanna, how she said she was in ten foster homes before she got accepted into Tretton. Now she could kinda see how problematic Johanna may have been in a foster home, but Finnick seemed so must more laid back. It was harder to imagine him as a problem child in foster care.

"Peeta and Gale are welcome to come hang out too." Annie added, "If you want, Mags makes a great meal."

"No thanks," Gale declined politely, "I have too many papers to finnish so I'm staying here."

"Me too," Peeta stated, "I still have to finish putting together the cage for Rufus."

Rufus had been a guinea pig that Peeta had gotten at the local pet shop in town. The dark furred rodent had somehow made it's way into the blonde's heart when he saw that they were using him to aid in teaching spells. Peeta couldn't imagine having spells being practiced on him so he quickly offered up all the money in his pocket for the furry creature. It spent most of it's time in one of the shallow pockets of Peeta's backpack sleeping or in the pocket of his cargo pants when they weren't in uniform.

"Some other time," Gale smiled. Katniss thought for a moment, Johanna lived there so if she went home over the weekend then there was a chance she could talk to the older girl there. Plus she would get to see Prim after a long week of studying.

"Is Johanna going to go home over the weekend?"

"She asked me to walk with her actually." Finnick stated, "It was weird, she says she wanted to talk about something. She'll be there though."

"She's been acting really weird." Annie started, "Not normal Hanna weird either, scary weird. I'm worried."

"I'll talk to her." Finnick promised. A look of worry crossing his face as well.

* * *

Johanna had packed the orb with her before walking to the front of the school to meet Finnick before they walked through Tretton to the house they shared with Mags and now Prim. After a few minutes of waiting the dirty blonde boy jogged up from the Teresita house dorms.

"Hey Jo," Finnick greeted with his trademark charming smile even though he was clearly anxious to know what had been going on with the younger girl the last few days. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah," Johanna stated absentmindedly as they walked through the busy streets of the village. Closer to the school was where all the book stores and cafe-like restaurants were. The quick and easy stops of the many students there. They were always busy during the weekend with the fourth-year students preparing for their large tests and the seventh-year students getting ready for their tests. "Coin gave me an assignment that I need a little help with."

"What kind of assignment?"

"An assassination." Johanna snorted, not even bothering to lie to the older man. She herself hated the idea and if there was a way to get out of it, she was sure he would come up with some sort of far-fetched plan. "She wants me to kill someone who has been spying on her precious Mockingjay."

"Why would she ask a student that?" Finnick asked, "That's insane. Magic can't even be used to kill people, except the Killing Curse but that's a forbidden spell. Casting that would land you in Capital Prison for the rest of your life. You can't even cast that curse."

"Maybe she asked me because I'm a muggle-born," Johanna snarled, "I did some digging. She said something that kinda ticked me off."

"What?"

"She said she had my sister, Nora, try to create a charm for her. A very powerful charm that she was unable to do. I asked around and a lot of the students say that she asks a lot of the muggle-born wizards to do dangerous shit for her." The black haired girl kicked a rock on the sidewalk, "I guess we're the most expandable if something goes wrong."

"What kind of charm was Nora to make?" Finnick asked as his brows came together.

"Something that would make Snow very angry." Johanna stated, "The man she wants me to kill also was the person who gave up Nora to him. He's a reason she's dead. That they're all dead."

"How do you know she's not lying to you?"

"She wants me to take out Titus." Johanna stated, "It's no lie that he informed Snow of Nora's charm."

"Isn't he like, in the wind?" Finnick asked, "How do you expect to find him?"

"I was hoping you would help." Johanna sighed, "Two noses are better then one when it comes to sniffing out a rat."

"And then what?"

"Then the Dementors can have him." Johanna scoffed, "I plan on dropping him right into the Pits Of Oblivion outside of the Capital. They can feed off his soul and reduce him to nothing."

"Dark much?"

"Whatever"

The two walked in silence, the crowd thinning as they walked to the small house just outside the shopping district.

"I'll help you," Finnick started, "But let's keep it quiet."

"Deal,"

"Not even Annie, if something goes wrong I don't want her getting hurt."

"Deal,"

* * *

"Katniss!" Prim cheered as she ran over to her older sister, an elderly looking women watching with a kind smile as Prim started to tell Katniss about all the things she had learned during their week apart.

"And then Mags showed me how to make the food soft enough for Buttercup to eat and how to make an herb mixture that would help him get better faster."

"I'm glad your having fun." Katniss smiled before being led into the kitchen.

"Mags, this is Katniss," Annie introduced, "Katniss, this is Mags, she takes care of the plants at school."

"It's nice to meet you, thank you for taking care of Prim." Mags only nodded with a smile and Katniss remembered that the old woman was mute, she spoke with sign language.

"What took you two so long?" Annie asked when Johanna and Finnick walked through the door.

"Johanna pulled an all-nighter finishing the paper Coin assigned her." Finnick lied lightly as he laughed, "I'm lucky I didn't have to carry her here."

Annie only shook her head, "So are you done with your assignment then?"

"Yeah," The black haired girl replied smoothly as Mags signed something to her. Johanna nodded before signing back and going to place her duffle bag upstairs.

"Mags asked Johanna to help with dinner. Johanna said she would as soon as she put her stuff away." Prim explained to Katniss.

"You've really picked that up huh?" Annie laughed, "That was quick, I'm impressed. Usually people don't pick up sign language that fast."

Prim smiled proudly as Annie and Katniss offered to aid Mags with dinner. Finnick offered his help but Mags signed something to him and he walked off.

"Finnick can't cook so Mags told him to set the table."

"Really, Finnick struck me as the kind of person who would cook." Katniss stated as she turned to Annie. After all the man was so gentlemanly and sweet that the inability to cook seemed strange.

"Finnick never had to. He knows how to gut a fish and stuff like that, but cooking isn't really his strong suit. He's sweet enough to try, but we tell him he really doesn't have to."

"He's that bad?"

"Kinda," Annie stated as Johanna came down, resting on the island while Katniss and Annie chopped vegetables and Prim chatted away about Buttercup and herbs and healing things.

"Johanna could you not kick?" Annie asked as the light hitting of heels on wood stopped momentarily.

"I'm bored,"

"You'll leave marks on the wood."

"I sand and repaint this thing every few weeks anyway." Johanna smirked, "All good"

"It's like having a puppy, every time you turn around it's chewing on something." Annie murmured as Katniss laughed lightly. "At least peel and chop those potatoes there. I'm making stew for tonight."

"Yeah, yeah," Johanna hopped off the counter and walked over to the bag of potatoes on the side of the sink. Johanna set up on the island she was previously sitting on and began to peel. They prepped in silence for a few minutes while Prim and Mags checked on Buttercup and brought him his dinner. For a few moments the three stood in silence, the only sounds echoing through the kitchen was the steady chopping sounds.

"Annie?" Finnick called, "Come here a sec?"

"Coming," Annie walked out, setting her knife down on the cutting board before her departure. Katniss looked over her shoulder at the black haired girl, now would be a great time to apologize. Katniss turned back to her carrots and sighed.

"Your doing it wrong," Katniss jumped at the sound, warm breath hitting her ear.

"Wha-"

"Like this," Johanna's arms encircled the girl similarly to how they were in the locker room, on hand covered Katniss's holding the carrot in place. Her other hand covered the hand Katniss had on the knife before pivoting the blade on the cutting board and cutting the vegetable. "That way they're even and cook evenly."

Johanna's hands were slightly bigger then Katniss's, hands callused from what Katniss assumed was years of woodworking and chopping wood. Finnick had told her that Johanna was from Sju, the district famous for lumber and paper production. Finnick had said that Johanna had been chopping firewood since she was old enough to walk and talk. The years of hard work earned her a fit figure. Her nails were painted black and kept at a length that wouldn't make chopping wood or other chores hard.

"I'm sorry," The words slipped from Katniss as she felt Johanna's hands loosen on her own.

"Their only vegetables, Brainless."

"Not that." Katniss started as she turned her head, blue eyes locking with dark brown, "I'm sorry you got in trouble with Professor Coin."

"Like I said, Brainless, nothing to worry about. She was just protecting the precious Mockingjay-"

"What the hell does that title even mean?" Katniss tired the rest of her body, forcing the girl behind her to let go of her hands all together. "Why does a scar matter so much around here?"

"There's a rumor," Johanna started, not missing a beat and Katniss is surprised as everyone usually brushes off her question. Johanna included, until now. "That you may have gained some of his power when he hit you. That maybe you have an ability that can be used to help defeat him. That's what Coin thinks."

"Like what?"

"Immortality," Johanna stated turning away, "Dude thinks he's immortal because so many people failed to kill him. Everyone's starting to believe he used some sort of forbidden spell to make himself unable to be killed."

Katniss brought a hand to her heart, outlining the scar she knew was there with her fingers.

"Lighten up," Johanna stated, "Finish chopping the way I showed you so we can eat sometime tonight."

"What are you really working on for Coin?"

"What I said I was."

"I don't believe you," Katniss started, "It felt kinda weird when you said it. Don't get hurt OK? Finnick says Coin can be very...medieval in her punishments."

"Don't worry Brainless, I'll be fine." Johanna says even though part of her doesn't believe it herself.

* * *

Johanna studied the map, the footprints that indicated were Titus was were still around the school. Perhaps he didn't know where Katniss had gone? That was good, at least she had some place to be save from him. She would find him, just not tonight. She picked up her sister's orb, holding it and thinking about her next move.

"Johanna," A voice called from the other side of her door.

"Come in," Katniss stepped through the door.

"I guess I should also thank you," Katniss started, "For getting me and Prim here. For arranging for her to stay here."

"That sentimental shit is really unnecessary."

"Maybe for you," Katniss rolled her eyes, "Goodnight"

"Goodnight, Brainless"


	5. Chapter 5: Field Exam

**Arc 1: The Witch's Charm**

**Chapter 5: Field Exam**

_Katniss felt like she was standing six inches tall. Everything in the dark hall where she stood was towering over her. Her chest hurt, a stabbing pain made it difficult for her to breathe and the pounding in her ears left her dazed as she felt her chest being stabbed harder and harder. A hooded figure stood in the hallway and crept closer to her. The scent of blood filled her nose as the figure advances. Roses drained of their color are left in the stranger's wake as a wicked smile takes over his features._

* * *

Katniss wakes with a start that morning. Her chest still feels sore as if she was punched and her head is spinning slightly.

"So you are awake," Annie states as she re-enters the room, dressed and ready to start the day. "The other's are waiting at the Great Hall. We should get breakfast before Johanna and Finnick finish whatever the house elves made."

Katniss laughs lightly as she gets up and stretches. One of the running jokes between her and her roommate was how much Johanna and Finnick ate. Alone she was sure Johanna could eat like a lumberjack and Finnick used his swimming practice as an excuse for why he ate so much. He burned so many calories swimming that he ate more. How the two stayed in such good physical shape was a mystery.

* * *

It was after Thanksgiving, and all Finnick could talk about was decorating for Christmas. He had brought books with different kinds of Christmas trees to show Johanna which one she should cut down. Apparently that was Johanna's job during Christmas, she would go out, usually with Finnick while Annie and Mags made cookies, to cut down a Christmas tree to bring back and decorate. Finnick had already invited Peeta and Gale to spend Christmas with them, Gale had family back in Tolv that he wanted to spend the holiday with but Peeta had agreed to come after Gale stated that he would make a day trip to come out.

"I can come out the day after Christmas, we usually don't do anything the day after." Gale had stated as they talked at breakfast. Classes were almost over for the semester and there was a three-week break for the Christmas holiday. Katniss was kinda looking forward to having a real Christmas with Prim and their new friends.

Peeta smiled lightly then Gale said he would come. The two had gotten close, Katniss noticed, they seemed to spend a lot of time together.

"Peeta would really like that." Johanna was quick to tease as Peeta's face turned lightly red. "After all Finnick will be with Annie and he needs another boy friend to talk to."

It was the first time Johanna had really spoken since they all sat down. She claimed to be finished with whatever Coin had assigned her to do, but the girl still spend a lot of time in the library or away from the group and off doing god knows what. Katniss had been worried, but Finnick kept assuring her that it was nothing.

"Rufus doesn't count." Johanna replied to whatever Peeta had retorted after being teased about Gale. Katniss had missed his comeback but she knew he had brought up the rodent that had become his friend. It was endearing to see a boy with his pet. Like a sappy movie from the 1980's. Peeta only snorted at Johanna and turned back to his plate, sneaking some food to the Guinea pig in his pocket.

"Jo," Finnick started as he planted the tree book down before her for the tenth time since they sat down for breakfast. "What about this one?"

"Scotch pine?" Johanna read as she readjusted her thin framed black reading glasses that she didn't bother taking off since Finnick had her reading something about different Christmas trees every few minutes. "I told you. Pick whatever you want. Just remember your have to tow it back with me."

"We need a big tree."

"It has to fit into the house." Annie started, "Remember two years ago?"

"Jo made it fit."

"Hanna almost took an axe to the doorway to make it fit."

Katniss couldn't help but laugh a little every time the two said the different parts of Johanna's name one after the other. It sounded strange to anyone who didn't know the two used different names for the younger girl. Anyone walking by would think they were talking about two different people.

"What about you and Prim?" Johanna asked suddenly, catching Katniss attention, "Do you guys wanna come with Finn and I when we get the tree?"

"Your asking for more tow power." Annie smirked, "Trees getting to heavy for you?"

"Shut it Cresta."

"I think Prim was looking forward to helping with cookies," Katniss shrugged, "She told me something about it last night. But I'll come along."

"Good, you can make sure these two yahoos don't mess up this year." Annie stated with a laugh at Finnick and Johanna's offended looks.

"You're dating this yahoo." Finnick grinned after a moment.

"Lucky me," Annie rolled her eyes before getting up, "I have to get to herbology, see my two favorite yahoos later?"

Annie kissed Finnick on the cheek and patted Johanna on the head before turning to leave,

"I'll walk you" Finnick started but Annie raised a hand,

"You can't, I have to check on your Christmas gift. If you come you'll ruin the surprise." Annie insisted as she walked away, "Besides you and Hanna need to get the tree this weekend. Go through your book."

Annie had been working on some special gift for Finnick for Christmas this year, so special in fact that even Johanna had no idea what the other girl was planning.

"You gonna bake with the girls Mellark?" Johanna asked with her signature smirk.

"I'd love to, I brought some of the bakery's special Christmas cookie recipes. I was hoping to add some twists to them this year since I'm not working there." Peeta smiled, baking aways made him smile like that. It was a charming smile, one that would make any girl smile back. He was such a charming young man, Katniss thought, she was surprised no girl had taken an interest in him yet.

"Mags could use the help," Johanna started with a thoughtful look before Finnick pushed the book towards her again.

"What about a Fraser Fir?"

"Finn, I told you, whatever you want." Johanna sighed, "But something that didn't leave a lot of pine needles would be good. I'm tired of sweeping them every year."

Finnick nodded and flipped through the book again.

"We should get to Defense." Peeta stated as he stood as well. "Professor Haymitch's Field Exam is today."

A field exam was something short of a test that Haymitch gave to the students almost every other week. They would go into the Forbidden Forrest and learn how to defend against the creatures there and were given a grade on how well they fended off the creatures. Sometimes the Care For Magical Creatures Professor, Chaff would come along with his class.

Haymitch wasted no time taking the class outside to meet up with Chaff's Care for Magical Creatures class. Apparently they had seen a herd of unicorn a moments ago and they wanted to get a closer look before they ran off. Chaff was a good natured professor, often telling false information to the students to joke with them. He was a tall man with dark skin and a hardy laugh. One of his arms ended in a stub as he lost his hand during an encounter with a werewolf. It was a tale that everyone knew as the teacher told it with pride of how he fought off a fierce werewolf.

"You ready?" Chaff asked as Haymitch gave a smile and raised his flask slightly.

"Yup, I enlisted Rossi and Mason to help out."

"How'd you get them out of Potions and Teleportation classes?" Chaff laughed as the two classes started into the woods. Katniss was surprised the two older students were going to aid them. Johanna usually had potions class with Professor Seeder and Blight had his Teleportation class with an instructor who's name Katniss couldn't remember.

"They'll have to do the assignment at the end of the day." Haymitch smiled as he gestured up two of the larger trees. Katniss and Peeta followed his hand to see Johanna and Blight dressed in casual attire sitting on the thick branches. Johanna sat up higher in her tree as Blight looked on from his tree.

"Mason, Rossi!" Chaff called up as the two looked down, "Good to see you two."

"Same to you Professor Chaff." Blight smiled. He was dressed in jeans and a charcoal gray sweater with the Nevermore logo on the upper left part of the chest, a black leather jacket finished the look.

"Keep a look out for unicorns." Chaff called up as the two nodded.

"Unicorns are one of the common creatures in these woods and although not dark creatures they can be aggressive when aggravated. Hey!" Haymitch called up to the two wizards in the trees. "Watch for trolls, I haven't gone over trolls yet."

"Nothing we can't handle." Katniss rolled her eyes at Johanna. Even in the trees she could almost hear the smirk in the older girl's voice.

"Let some of the level one and two creatures by." Haymitch called, "They can handle those. So don't kill anything that they can."

"What about three?" Blight asked, "We saw a Hippogriff earlier."

The levels Katniss knew were used to rank how dangerous a creature was. Level one being the least dangerous and level five being the most.

"Leave the Hippogriff," Chaff called, "My class knows the proper way to handle them."

"They look like monkeys." A student off to Katniss right stated with an impressed tone as the class walked on watching the two older students make their way there the trees when the class advanced and kept watch from the the higher point.

"They're both from Sju right?" Another student asked.

"Yeah, so they would be good at climbing."

Katniss smiled as she watched the two show off, they were both great climbers, a skill she knew they had to have had since they were children in their district. They seemed so much younger playing in the trees like that. They moved fluently as if they had lived in the trees their whole lives. Once in a while one of them would disappear to the right or left to find a stronger branch to support their weight before coming back into view.

The trees in the forest were thick and bared large branches that could easily hold a large animal. Some of the trees were more bare and they stood almost at a ninety degree angle. The bark was darkened with white splotches and the leaves on the trees were gone in the chill of winter.

"Eyes focused," Haymitch reminded his class when they got too involved in watching the two Sju district students in the trees.

Katniss stopped walking when her chest started hurting her, the pain was sudden and stopped quickly as if she had been stabbed.

"You alright Katniss?" Peeta asked from her side a look of worry flashing through his blue eyes. Katniss only nodded.

"Something's not right," Chaff started as the two teachers stopped as well as the students. "We've been walking for twenty minutes and we haven't seen a single creature."

"Mason, Rossi," Haymitch called up, "You see anything."

"It's still," Blight called back shaking his head, "Nothing."

"The forest is never this silent." Chaff started, "We should leave, if there is something out here, it was powerful enough to scare away an entire herd of unicorns."

"Alright, class, we're headed back." Haymitch called as they turned.

"JOHANNA!" Blight screamed, Katniss turned sharply at the sound, the man was screaming in fear and that sound alone was worrying to Katniss. Chaff and Haymitch turn as well and within seconds she sees Peeta out of the corner of her eye dashing forward, he collides with Johanna in an attempt to catch her as she flies into him, knocking them both to the ground.

"What the hell is that?" A student asks as Katniss looks up to see a creature that resembles a pure black ghost. The creature was at least nine feet tall and was flying around the treetops were Johanna previously was.

"Johanna," She hears Peeta call as he sits up, shaking the shoulder of the girl laying next to him. "Johanna!"

Katniss rushes over she the older girl begins to stir, blood streaming down a cut across the left side of her face, just below the bridge of her nose and continued horizontally until the small cut lined up with the center of her left eye. Brown eyes looked dazed and she was sure to have other bruises after being forced out of the tree.

"Dementors?" Chaff murmured, "How?"

"We need to get these kids out of here," Haymitch stated, drawing his wand, "Blight, get over here and help us get these kids out of here."

There were five of them, circling like vultures. Humanoid forms draped in black, ripped cloth and decaying bodies. Lifeless faces and scabby skin with slimy-looking hands.

"Stay close," Haymitch calls to his class as the two classes merge together. Haymitch, Chaff, and Blight stand with wands ready as Peeta pulls Johanna to her feet.

"The hell are they doing here." Johanna growls through clenched teeth.

"What are they?" Katniss asks the older girl as she watches her pull out her wand.

"Dementors, they're not supposed to be here. Don't let them get close to you." Katniss notices the seriousness in the older girl's face, how her eyes don't hold the snarky and teasing gleam they usually did. That only adds to the seriousness of the situation. If Johanna Mason wasn't joking around about it, it was nothing to joke about.

"Expecto Patronum!" She hears Blight yell moments later as a large, clear looking bear forms from his wand, the charm causes some of the dementors to retreat back from the group as they scramble to get away. Blight follows as well as this large bear familiar he summoned.

"Expecto Patronum" Chaff's low voice called as a similar familiar in the shape of a bull appeared and knocked back the dementors that were trying to get in front of the large group of students. The two classes dashed towards the school gates, the sickening sound of the dementors moaning looming over them. Katniss could feel her heart beating, every once in a while a beat would be more painful and caused her breath to catch in her throat.

"Pull it together," She heard Johanna's voice growl to her left as the older girl gripped her by the elbow, preventing her from falling behind the other students. As soon as they passed the gates and found themselves on school ground, the dementors retreated, seemingly unable to cross onto the school property. Katniss dropped to her knees, a hand grasping the cloth of her uniform before her scar.

"What was that?" Peeta turned to Blight as the bear creature vanished.

"A Patronus Charm," the older man informs as he catches his breath, "It's the only defense against a dementor."

"It's a very difficult charm," Blight added as he straightened himself. "The user has to think of their happiest memory and create circles in the air with their wand. They must focus on that memory throughout the duration of the spell. It relies on emotion and heavy concentration.

"Looks like it's a charm we'll have to go over. No grades for Field Exams today. Class dismissed." Haymitch stated as he pulled his flask back out taking a long gulp of the mysterious alcoholic contents.

"What do you think of Blight? When you cast the spell." Peeta asked as Blight offered a smile.

"The day I preposed to my girlfriend." Blight absent-mindedly twisted the ring on his left hand, "I preposed to her by Bear Lake in Sju. It was mid-day and there was a big black bear sitting across the late with her baby. We watched the bears for thirty minutes before I preposed."

"She said yes?"

"Yeah," Blight's smile was slightly ghost-like on his face as his dark eyes became distant for a moment.

"I'm sure you had a beautiful wedding." Katniss adds before seeing Blight's eyes turn sad.

"There was no wedding," Blight shrugged, "She died, was murdered by the Dark Prince two months before our wedding. We were both still students here at the time. We were going to get married in the summer. A small wedding. Just family and close friends. But it didn't happen."

"I'm so sorry," Peeta's eyes softened.

"I still love her," Blight smiled, "I always will."

Katniss turned away, unable to focus on the mournful face of the older man before her. She noticed Johanna was no were to be seen.

"She must be mad at me." Blight chuckled sadly, "She hates when I tell that story."

"Why would Johanna care?" Katniss's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Because," Blight sighed, "I was marrying her older sister, Nora. When I tell that story, it's a reminder of what could have been. I think it gets under her skin. I don't think she really liked me much. She tolerated me for Nora's sake, but that was it."

Blight runs a hand through his black hair, "Johanna lost her whole family that day. It was one of the Dark Prince's attacks on muggles and muggle-born wizards. Johanna was the only survivor of the attack...Besides a dementor scratch hurts like all hell. I'm sure she's in the hospital wing getting it disinfected. Also painful by the way."

Katniss could tell Blight was trying to move the conversation along, he knew it wasn't his place to talk about Johanna's past. Katniss understood and offered a smile.

"I'm glad that's all over," Peeta stated, "We have time before next class, maybe we should hang out for a bit and go check on Johanna. She fell really pretty bad out of the tree."

Katniss nodded, "Yeah, sounds like a plan. But are you ok? She did hit you when she fell out of the tree."

"Yeah, but I'm fine," Peeta smiled.

By the time they got to the hospital wing, Finnick and Annie had already gotten the news of Johanna's injury and had already visited at some point between classes. It was prevalent by the number of boxes of chocolate resting on the side table next to the hospital bed Johanna was sitting on.

"Finnick was here," Johanna groaned as the two took notice of the stockpile of sweets, "He worries too much."

"What's up with all the chocolate?"

"It's supposed to be a first-aid for minor cases of dementor contact. Like scratches. Chocolate is supposed to aid in regaining strength after a dementor attack." Johanna shrugs, "Finnick went a little overboard."

Katniss remembers Blight saying that disinfecting a dementor scratch was painful, she wonders if that's the only drawback of a dementor scratch.

"Dementors can separate your soul from your body." Johanna starts, "When they scratch you they only separate a part of your soul temporarily. When they kiss you, they devour your soul. It's worse then death. Chocolate frog?"

"What's a chocolate frog?" Peeta asks innocently as Johanna hands him a box decorated with gold trim. Peeta takes it pensively and reads the label, "Chocolate frog, made with seventy percent Croakoa?"

Katniss watches Johanna's smirk as Peeta opens the box. A small chocolate frog sprung to life and hopped out of the beautifully decorated box.

"That's pretty cool," Peeta smiled like a young boy as Johanna laughed, Katniss following in suit.

"Their actually really good, once you catch them."

Katniss makes a mental note to bring some to Prim, she knew the young girl would get a kick out of candy that came alive.

"What's this?" Peeta asked removing a card from the box.

"Each chocolate frog comes with collectable trading card. They're pretty popular with the first years...and Finnick, he collects them." With a roll of her eyes the black haired girl leans back on the bed an arm stretching behind her to support her weight.

"Plutarch Heavensbee, He's the headmaster here right? He actually has his own card?"

"Yeah, he wouldn't be headmaster if he wasn't an accomplished wizard."

"So when are they letting you out of here?" Katniss asked as Johanna shrugged.

"I have to go through three more disinfecting sessions, they don't mess around with dementor wounds." Johanna shifted so that she was sitting indian style on the bed. "I should be out by lunch."

"I'll hold you to that." Katniss stated with a sudden serious look in blue eyes as she met Johanna's brown ones, "No more detentions."

"Got it."

* * *

"Hey, Jo, ready to go to lunch?" Finnick asked with a trademark grin.

"You know what just occurred to me?"

"Is it how awesome I am?"

"No," Johanna stood from the bed and started towards the door, "There are two ways of preventing a dementor from sucking your soul. The Patronus Charm or"

"To be a wizard with an animagus form," Finnick finished, "As long as that wizard was in his animal form, the dementors wouldn't be able to suck their soul."

"Titus is a wanted criminal, the Ministry of Magic would send dementors to find him." Johanna started, "The dementors can't find him, so that means-"

"He's an animagus?"

"That would explain why no one can see him when they cross paths with him on the map," Johanna stated matter-of-factly. "I've been looking for a man. When I'm really after a rat."

"Or a snake," Finnick added as they walked down the hall. "Anything small that could sneak by people easy."

"He didn't follow us to Mags when we took Katniss there," Johanna observed, "He's living as a pet, he can't leave the school because the owner would know he's a miss."

"How are you going to track him now?" Blonde brows furred together, "If you haven't found him yet?"

"I have an idea," Johanna started, "But I need an opening to snag him."

"Professor Chaff's late afternoon class is going to the lake. There's a shack half a mile north of it. No one uses it." Johanna continued, "Meet me there thirty minutes after final bell. I'll have the rat."

"You're not going to tell me who's pet your going to snag?" Finnick asked.

"No," Johanna smiled, "You'll have to trust me."


End file.
